Hurry Up, Slow Down and Enjoy the......... Everything!

Good Morning!!!!!!  I am finally in a state where I have realized that I need to Slow Down and Enjoy the holiday.  I am holiday girl.  Whether it be Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc.  I love them all.  I love what they symbolize, I love the decorations and how people are generally in better spirits at that time.  It's Fabulous!!!

But it's also a time when people put a lot of pressure on themselves, myself included.  The need to have the perfect gifts, homes, decorations and baking, and a time limit.  Thats where today's Meditation Monday tip comes in.

STOP!!!! Whatever it is that you're doing and take 5 DEEP breaths.  Inhale through your nose and engage your tongue and throat, making your tongue soft against the back of your throat, to get the best of it, inhale as deep as you can, and exhale sloooooowly.  Take a second to look around you and see what's going on, see what your missing.  Enjoy the kids, the snow, the neighbors lights, or even the people, sights and sounds at your local mall.  Where ever you are and you need it, do it.  You don't want to miss out.

Until tomorrow, enjoy your day, enjoy your family and happy breathing!

My Infinite Wisdom From The Kitchen

This mornings recipe comes straight from the heart and my mind, as in I created it this morning.  My husband likes BIG breakfasts, my kids like BIG breakfasts, I do not.  So we compromise...... once a week we do a BIG breakfast.  I don't like eggs, or bacon, or sausages (I'm not a picky eater, I promise, and I will eat them sometimes), my downfall is hash-browns. I love them.  So this mornings compromise is as follows.

Robin's Big Breakfast Combo:
(Also could be used for Christmas morning breaky)

1 bag hashbrowns, your style
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks sliced
1 package ground pork, cooked
garlic and  onion powder and pepper to taste
5 eggs
1 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  In a 9x13 baking dish, combine first 7 ingredients and give a quick stir.  Put in oven and cook 35-40 minutes.
About 10 min before the timer goes, scramble your eggs.  Take the hash-brown mix out of the oven, top with scrambled eggs, and cheese.  Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Hope you get a chance to try this and let me know what you think.

Until Monday, enjoy your weekend, enjoy your family and happy crafting.

Library Days and Christmas Light Up #1

So this is the moment you have all been waiting for, more pictures!!!!! I know it was a hard week without seeing all of our smiling faces, but I am glad you survived.  In no particular order (sorry) is pics from our bi-weekly library trips, for preschool story time.  Pics from Chaos' first sled ride this year (he actually stayed in the sled this time).  And the Grand finale, pics from our towns annual light up.  There is crafts at the library, cookie decorating at the bakery, a wiener roast and a hay ride (pulled by a tractor).  And of course, pics with Santa!  Oh, and the pic above is Supernan after I let him dress himself for school.  He is my dress up kid, and this tie is his new favorite item of clothing.

 This is Calligators scary mean and menacing face.  Pretty scary!

 Library pics from Light Up

 BTW, This is a normal occurrence from Chaos, every time we go to the library, he knows where they are and knows what face to give to get a sucker.

 Pics from the bakery, cookie decorating!

 Obviously this is the weiner roast, there is a better pic of them, but see the 2 buddies.  Supernan and Little YaYa. 

 Thats better.

Officer! 

 Blue Steel! He is a model citizen!

 Every year and every pic we have of Supernan with santa looks like this, at least this year he got closer than 4 feet away.

 And Chaos wouldn't even go anywhere near him.

 Mad's work Christmas party.  Ain't we purdy?

Hope you all enjoy the pics.  Don't forget tomorrows recipe.

Enjoy your day, enjoy your family and happy crafting.

A Christmas Present for Mad

To start with, in case you all are wondering why I call my husband Mad, it is not because he is some abnormally angry person.  He had that name since long before we met and he was still a cool rock star, aka, Mad Chad.  Now he is Dad Chad, but for all intents and purposes I will continue to call him Mad Chad, cause he is still a rock star to me.

Now, Mad is the coolest person he knows.  He drives a cool vehicle, plays cool guitars and drums and starts cool new facial hair trends at his work.  Plus, if there is something that he wants, that he doesn't already have, he will just go buy it.  So what do you get the coolest person who has everything? Well I'm glad you asked.  You make him something.  The thing about the cool car is that he is ultra sensitive to any mess in it (yes we do have 3 kids), so I decided to make him a cool garbage bag for his car.  He can hang it in the front seat when it's just him, or flip it round back so that the kids can use it in the back seat, cause it hangs from the headrest.  I saw this idea somewhere on another blog and would totally give props, but I can't remember where it was or on what blog, so if it's yours and you are reading this, thank you.

Here goes:

Step 1:
Find super cool material.  I happened to find guitar flannel.  Not just guitars though, it has the Eddie Van Halen signature guitar print on it.  Mad will love it.

Step 2:
Cut your material, for the bag I used The flannel, cut 40" x 14", I cut a plastic table cloth the same and made a casing for the elastic 40"x 1".  Oh and the elastic is I made 14"long (1/4").

Step 3:
I made the casing for the elastic, fold the long strip in half, lengthwise, right sides together and sew with a zigzag stitch.

Turn the casing right side out, I used a bbq skewer.

Thread the elastic through and sew at each end. You will have a nice gathered elastic cover.

Step 4:
Sew the plastic together, up the sides. (I had troubles with this, cause the plastic kept sticking to the machine, so I just lifted the presser foot and made a pretty sloppy stitch, but it's covered)

Step 5:
Fold the larger piece of material in half, sideways, right sides together, and sew up the sides.  Turn it right side out and you should have "a bag".

I know its a repeat pic, but my camera was dying so I worked with what I could

Step 6:

Place plastic bag inside flannel bag and pin corners together.  At the top, fold over about 1/2" and sew a top stitch around the top of the bag.  DO NOT FINISH IT ALL THE WAY!!!!!  About 1/2 way on one side, slide one end of the elastic casing under the presser foot as you are sewing and double back over it. About 1" over, do the same with the other end of the casing.  Finish the seam.

Step 7:

Sew a top stitch along the sides and bottom of the bag.  This will prevent the plastic bag from slipping inside and give you a neat finish.

Wrap it up and I hope he likes it. 

Enjoy your day, enjoy your family and happy crafting!

SQEEEEEEEK!!!!

Chaos doesn't talk much, so it's hard to write anything about him, but the last couple days, he's been giving me gems.  For starters, I am sure no on believes that he can say anything other than no, but we have good conversations all day and his vocab is coming along.  Also, he has decided to go against my wishes and start potty training himself.  Normally, people aren't opposed to this, but he is my last baby, and he is just that, a baby, so it's a hard pill to swallow.  However, on the numerous occasions that I sit in the bathroom with him, waiting and waiting (he tries), he talks.  He tells me what his body is doing.  The other day, he farted and he told me "mamma, bum, SQEEEEEEEEEK" How can you not laugh at that, he was so serious and he scrunched up his eyes when he said it.  It was the funniest thing I have heard come out of his mouth.

Second story, short butt quick (did you see what I did there, I made a funny, cause it's another bum story.  I love babies) A friend of mine, hendrix wife, was camping with her daughter Gouie, when all of a sudden she came running up to her and said "Mommy, my bum hurts" and hendrix wife, looking confused, of course asked her why.  Her answer was simple.  "Because there's a hole in it"  Common sense right?  

From the mouths of babes...... An I get to write about it.  It really is a beautiful thing that I have the pleasure of keeping these memoirs for the future, like grad, or first girl/boyfriends, or weddings.  Cause it's gonna have to be brought up by then.  Sorry guys.

Just a quick copy from fellow blogger, trashybetty,blogspot.com, on a subject that means a whole lot to me.  Please take the time to read it and wear red with me on friday in support of suicide awareness.

About 90 Americans committed suicide today. Ninety will tomorrow. Six-hundred and thirty will next week. Someone did 15 minutes ago, and someone will 15 minutes from now. Individuals commit suicide because of mental illness, such as PTSD, depression, schizophrenia, postpartum depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders, amongst many other mental illnesses, verbal abuse, domestic violence, bullying, cyber bulling, sexual harassment, rape, teen pregnancy, divorce, terminal disease diagnosis, racism, and poverty. Suicide is very real and very scary. Most of us know someone who committed or attempted suicide. It is important for us to remember all whose lives were taken or changed by suicide. Talk to people, listen to people, if someone tells you they are thinking about suicide don't blow it off. Learn the signs that someone may be going to commit suicide. I can't stress this enough. Suicide is a big deal... it is everywhere... Raise general suicide awareness. Wear red Friday, December 3rd, to raise suicide awareness. Copy this and paste this onto your profile, talk to your friends. Everyone is loved by someone. Let those you know know that you love them, you could be the difference in their lives. Be there for those who are struggling. If you are struggling, know you are not alone. Find someone to talk to who will be willing to listen. Three people have committed suicide in the time I started writing this to right now. -author unknown

Hope you all enjoy your day, listen to your kids, you never know what you'll hear.  Happy crafting and I will see you back here tomorrow for another tutorial (if I decide by then what I want to do, lol).